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About the author:
At the age of 16, Syd met her nose ringed, patchwork trouser wearing, dreadlocked boyfriend who was saving to go travelling. It was a no brainer that she would join him. They travelled extensively around Southeast Asia, cementing her addiction to faraway places and ingraining a need to travel whenever possible- thereafter always going solo. That was thirty-one years ago, and throughout her various careers as TV director, social worker and ESL teacher, her wanderlust continues. Whilst teaching English in Rio in 2017, Syd Kelly saw a writing competition advertised on social media for women who had travelled solo in Latin America. Having entered, her short story was chosen and included in ‘Alone Together: tales of sisterhood and solitude in Latin America’. Being dyslexic, this publication gave her the confidence to write her debut novel. ‘Samba, sex and self-loathing’ was 5 years in the making, snatching any nanosecond to write on the metro, frantically racing in between students whilst teaching English abroad or editing away in the evenings whilst fixing the injustices of the world as a social worker in the UK. The manuscript quickly becoming her boyfriend, addiction and tormentor. Beginning as a collection of anecdotes and tales she’d heard whilst travelling, the book began to weave together strong female characters based loosely on women she knew living in Rio and elsewhere. Syd is adamant that her novel is contemporary romance with a lot of sex woven in, rather than erotica. You decide. Syd finally self-published in 2022. She continues to pen her travel blog on syd-kelly.com and her second book is currently in the making.
What inspired you to write your book?
As above, my novel began as a collection of anecdotes and tales I'd heard whilst travelling, the book began to weave together strong female characters based loosely on women I knew living in Rio and elsewhere. Rio is my favourite city in the world so that was my inspiration.